Countering Democrats’ Attack On Stand Your Ground

For those outside the regular confines of the debate over armed self-defense, Stand Your Ground laws can be confusing, and are perceived—wrongly—as provocative. Recent news from Iowa and Florida have thrust the statutes once again into the limelight, as theHawkeye Stateseems poised to add an SYG statute, and theSunshine Stateto protect theirs. In the simplest terms, these laws say that you don’t have to retreat to the last possible extremity before you defend yourself with force up to and including lethal means (generally, a handgun).

Assaults on such statutes are routinely, hysterically squealed by the regular-folks-are-incompetent crowd, and betray just how sheltered these elitists are. Their lack of knowledge of how attacks actually unfold—in a few seconds, even fractions thereof—was never more transparent. Instead,they insist such lawsare “shoot first” laws, and shield criminal murders under the guise of self-defense. Legally coerced retreat is supposed—we guess—to allow third parties to intervene, or for law enforcement to be summoned, but a scan ofthis sort of datais not remotely encouraging.

Yet the problem for good guys remains. The absence of Stand Your Ground represents just one more advantage to aggressors: They’ve already chosen time, place, weapon(s), method and numbers, now they’ve got you backing up, or simply running.

The playgrounds of youth should have taught these folks the hazards of such a plan.

N.C. Bingo Hall Night Manager Fatally Shoots Armed Robber

On Wednesday, a manager at Coliseum Bingo and Games was preparing for the day ahead when two armed robbers stormed in at 5 a.m. and began threatening everyone. So the 63-year-old supervisor calmly drew his gun, stepped forward and confronted the thugs.

The Winston-SalemJournal reports that shots were then exchanged between the suspects and the manager. The manager was hit in the shoulder, suffering minor injuries. One of the suspects—22-year-old Deshaun Rashaud Fisher-McCullum—was also struck, causing both would-be robbers to quickly take flight. Authorities found Fisher-McCullum several yards from the business, fatally wounded, while the second suspect remains at large.

Neighboring tenants of the Coliseum were shaken. “It’s really a shame that people go to work in the morning and work hard at their jobs,” said Tonya Bess, owner of the Prime Tyme Soul Café. “And youth think they can take stuff that doesn’t belong to them. They don’t realize the consequences of their actions.”

Illinois Legislators Vote To Crack Down On Repeat Violent Offenders

Is there finally a glimmer of hope for America’s deadliest city? On Thursday, the Illinois Senate voted 35-9 to impose stiffer prison sentences for repeat gun offenders. The measure is aimed at reducing violent crime in Chicago.

With Windy City violence on track to outpace last year’s homicide total of 762, Senate Bill 1722 passed easily. The measure would revise the guidelines judges use in determining sentences for repeat violent offenders. Judges currently can hand out sentences in the range of three to 14 years. Under SB 1722, judges would be required to sentence repeat violent offenders to seven to 14 years, and would have to explain any deviation from that range.

SB 1722 follows the advice given by NRA’s Wayne LaPierre: “If you want to stop violent crime … take violent criminals off the street. Prosecute them under the current federal gun laws, and make sure they don't get to their next crime scene. That's the way to save lives.”

According to a report at lcsun-news.com, a bill proposed in the Navajo tribal council would require individuals who reside on tribal lands and own firearms—including automatic guns, rifles, shotguns and antique firearms—to register those weapons with the Navajo Nation Police Department, which would maintain a central registry. If approved, gun owners would have up to 180 days to register their firearms.

Delegate Davis Filfred said the current measure is just a first step in creating a registration process that he wants to see instituted. Navajo tribal members would be wise to point out to Filfred and other leaders that registration is also always the “first step” toward confiscation.

Va. Lawmakers Fail To Overturn Governor’s Veto Of Self-Defense Bills

This week, the Virginia legislature decided to place partisan politics above the safety of domestic violence victims when it refused to override Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s veto of an important set of pro-Second Amendment measures.

SB1299, SB1300, HB1852 and HB1853, sponsored by state Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel and Delegate Todd Gilbert, would have applied to Virginians filing a protective order, provided they were over 21 and not prohibited from possessing, purchasing or transporting firearms. The bills would have allowed such individuals to carry a concealed firearm for 45 days after the issuance of a protective order, giving them ample time to apply for a state concealed-carry permit.

While anti-gun Democrat Gov. McAuliffe predictably vetoed the measures, it was hoped that the legislature would recognize the important safety implications of these measures and stand their ground. However, during Wednesday’s veto session, many chose instead to kowtow to the governor’s anti-gun machinations, leaving insufficient votes to override the veto. Virginians who value their rights would be wise to remember this in 2018.